Sierra Club Marks One Year Anniversary of Superstorm Sandy

Washington, DC -- A year has passed since Sandy, the second-costliest storm in U.S. history, slammed into the Eastern Seaboard, causing $65 billion in damage.

Michael Brune, Sierra Club Executive Director, released the following statement in response:

“On the day of this unhappy anniversary, we can't really say the disaster is behind us. Thousands of families are still unable to return to their homes. Some people have lost everything, including the hope of getting it back.

“To fight future disasters, we need to reduce and ultimately eliminate the dangerous carbon pollution that is fueling climate disruption. We've made progress. Last year, greenhouse gas emissions reported to the EPA by polluters reached their lowest level in almost 20 years. At the same time, clean energy technologies like wind and solar are growing faster than anyone could have guessed just a few years ago.

“And yet, it's still not fast enough. The disaster that is runaway climate pollution won't begin to subside until we stop burning fossil fuels entirely. We can do it, but it won't happen through wishful thinking. We need to act.

“The Environmental Protection Agency’s first ever standards to clean up dangerous carbon emissions from new power plants, the biggest unchecked source of climate-disrupting pollution, is a good place to start. We look forward to working with the EPA to ensure the strongest possible carbon pollution standards.”